--- title: "Inside a VIP Experience" id: "61185" type: "post" slug: "inside-a-vip-experience" published_at: "2026-06-12T19:37:35+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T19:25:42+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/inside-a-vip-experience/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/inside-a-vip-experience.md" excerpt: "Associations looking for revenue and engagement should experiment more with bespoke experiences, planners say. Just don’t lose a sense of belonging." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Inside a VIP Experience Part of the Deep Dive[Meeting the Moment](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/meeting-the-moment/) Front-row seats. Backstage passes. VIP meet-and-greets. Today, association meetings can operate a lot like a stop on a pop star’s arena tour—filled with premium experiences that give attendees a feeling of white-glove treatment and provide the association with additional revenue. Interest in those experiences is particularly acute thanks to rising costs for nearly every element of an event. “Margins are getting tighter again because everything costs more,” says Rich Vallaster, CEM, QAS, AAiP, senior director of industry strategy at Momentive Software. “When I look at some of the VIP concepts and different tiered levels, I’m excited because it’s the same kind of creativity we see more with corporate and for-profit organizers and events. Everybody wants a customized experience.” One benefit of such premium experiences is that they can be delivered at relatively low cost. “I’ve seen things like being able to sit in the front of the room or being the first to enter a general session so you get to pick your seat,” says Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP-Fellow, CAE, VP of event strategy and design at 360 Live Media. “Sometimes it involves a meet-and-greet with the speaker, or you maybe get your photo taken, or the speaker will do a special Q&A session.” [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Meetings Made for Everybody](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/meetings-made-for-everybody/) - [Sustainability as an Attendee Expectation (Not Just an Event Initiative)](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/sustainability-as-an-attendee-expectation-not-just-an-event-initiative/) - [A Meeting Expert’s Need-to-Knows](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/a-meeting-experts-need-to-knows/) - [What Happens When Event Teams Help Set the Strategy, Not Just Execute It](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/12/what-happens-when-event-teams-help-set-the-strategy-not-just-execute-it/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/meeting-the-moment/) ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoMelvin Tennant, CAE, President & CEO of Meet Minneapolis, Welcomes You to Great Ideas 2026September 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/02/melvin-tennant-cae-president-ceo-of-meet-minneapolis-welcomes-you-to-great-ideas-2026/) - [VideoASAE TV Daily Recap: Final Day at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/24/asae-tv-daily-recap-final-day-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2026%2F06%2F12%2Finside-a-vip-experience%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !